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Ben O'Carroll was man of the match with 1-2 on his Roscommon league debut. INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

O'Carroll seals Roscommon win on dream debut; Clare stun Louth in frantic finale

Roscommon ran out five-point winners against Tyrone in Dr Hyde Park, while Clare edged out Louth in dramatic circumstances in Ennis.

National Football League Division 1

  • Roscommon 3-11 Tyrone 1-12

National Football League Division 2

  • Clare 0-13 Louth 1-9

BEN O’CARROLL’S GOAL deep into additional time sealed victory for Roscommon in Davy Burke’s first league game as manager.

On his league debut, O’Carroll capped his 1-2 individual tally and man of the match performance with a 74th-minute goal in a 3-11 to 1-12 win against Tyrone.

The Rossies, promoted last season as Division 2 champions, are widely expected to find themselves in a fight for their top-flight survival in 2023.

But three second-half goals from Ciaráin Murtagh, Diarmuid Murtagh and O’Connor earned them to a massive two points on opening weekend.

Roscommon had the better of the first half and led by five before scores from David Mulgrew and Darragh Canavan sent Tyrone in at the break three points in arrears, 0-8 to 0-5.

The visitors drew level with a quick flurry early in the second half before taking the lead through Richie Donnelly’s goal on 46 minutes, 1-8 to 0-9.

Burke responded by sending on Ciaráin Murtagh for Conor Cox and the change paid almost instant dividends, Murtagh’s goal on 52 minutes — just four minutes after his introduction — levelling the game at 1-9 apiece.

That was quickly followed by Roscommon’s second, courtesy of Diarmuid Murtagh, in the 56th minute which put them into a lead they never relinquished.

But Tyrone refused to go down without a fight and set up a grandstand finish through a quick double from Donnelly and Niall Sludden which saw them trail by the minimum, 2-10 to 1-12, with just three minutes remaining before O’Carroll made Roscommon’s victory safe late on.

At Cusack Park, Clare snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a heroic comeback in their Division 2 opener against Louth.

Ciarán Downey’s 67th-minute goal looked set to give the visitors the win in a low-scoring game, but Clare reeled off four unanswered points in additional time to leave Louth stunned, Jamie Malone scoring a remarkable winner with 77 minutes on the clock.

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